


indebted and so grateful

by gabriphales



Series: gomens drabble hell [19]
Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Angst, Drabble, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Internal Monologue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-20
Updated: 2020-04-20
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:42:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23754814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabriphales/pseuds/gabriphales
Summary: gabriel has to leave aziraphale in eden. aziraphale isn't happy about it
Series: gomens drabble hell [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1664713
Kudos: 12





	indebted and so grateful

**Author's Note:**

> yall ever think abt how az was left alone?? in eden?? by himself??? just w/ a big ass sword no friends :(( my bub

"Don't leave me," Aziraphale's voice is frail, wobbly. "I need you to stay. Just for tonight."

Gabriel hesitates. The grass is wet and unseemly against the bottoms of his feet. Slivers of damp blades peek between his toes, and it's a horrifically uncomfortable feeling. He doesn't like it. He doesn't like anything about being down here. Earth is - Earth, he's decided, is one of the Almighty's most questionable decisions. Though nothing she makes can be openly questioned. Better to hold those thoughts inside your head, tucked within wax sealed lips.

He stares down at Aziraphale, and takes another step backwards. He hasn't turned around yet. Hasn't dared to turn his back on Aziraphale. All things considered, he isn't fully sure he can.

"You need to be brave." Gabriel says. "I know you can do this."

And Aziraphale - Aziraphale doesn't speak for a moment. He brings his knees up to his chest, curls in on himself like he's a breath and a half away from breaking down into a fragile disaster of tears. Gabriel honestly kind of wants to shout, wants to raise his voice until Aziraphale's properly stricken into silence - a quiet acceptance, of sorts. But he knows that'll only make matters worse in the long run. He has to be patient, has to be kind.

Neither of those qualities happen to fall in line with the general dichotomy of his personality - though his failing temper often rises beyond what he can control, and he tries his hardest to amend the consequences that follow, he's never quite _nice._ Never anything close to the soft, milky sweet benevolence of Aziraphale's disposition. 

And he isn't certain if kindness is a necessity in the trademarks of an angel, but he knows - he _knows_ there's something different about Aziraphale. It makes him uncomfortable. Sets him on edge when there's so little to guard himself from. What could Aziraphale ever do to him, after all? What _would_ Aziraphale ever do to him? He's harmless to an unlawful extent, too wary of his own sword to learn how to actually use it.

He's never been a warrior, of course. But this is just _ridiculous._ He has to come into his own skin at some point, and if he won't do it on his own, then Gabriel will have to help. No harm in pushing the baby bird from its nest, so long as it lands on its two feet safely. Aziraphale will either learn to fly, or fail trying. And if he fails... if he fails - 

Well. Gabriel's decided that isn't an option.

Aziraphale still isn't looking at him. He hasn't bothered with lifting his head in the last five minutes. Gabriel bites his tongue, stifles a surge of bitter suplhur in the form of all the words he knows better than to speak aloud. He spins on his heel, and kicks up dirt and muddy foliage with the force of his wings batting down. Taking flight is easy - leaving Aziraphale behind isn't.

He can hear him, can hear those desperate, worried cries. The sounds of something unprepared left defenseless for the very first time in its life. But he doesn't look back. For all the stars in the sky - still new, freshly-born from the hands of angels who've betrayed Heaven's grace - he doesn't look back.

It's all the strength he has to keep himself from dragging Aziraphale back up to Heaven with him.


End file.
